Rawalpindi Polio Drive to Vaccinate 990,000 Children

The Rawalpindi polio drive starts today, Monday, with a target of more than 990,000 children under five in the district. Teams will go door to door for four days to give polio drops to every eligible child.

The Punjab Emergency Operations Centre will run the campaign in 13 districts, including Rawalpindi. It is the fifth polio vaccination campaign in Punjab this year. It is also the third sub-national immunisation days campaign, after two national immunisation days rounds and two earlier sub-national rounds.

Health officials say repeated rounds matter because one missed child can keep the virus moving. Parents must bring forward every child under five in each round, even if the child received drops before. That rule applies in every campaign, without exception.

Rawalpindi polio drive: teams, supervisors and union councils

In Rawalpindi, more than 4,210 polio teams will visit homes to give drops. Around 270 supervisors will oversee the work across 212 union councils. Staff from the World Health Organization and Unicef will also supervise the campaign in the field.

Across the November campaign, more than 77,000 frontline workers will go door to door. Punjab Emergency Operations Centre Coordinator Khalid Parvaiz said the drive in Lahore will run for seven days. The other 12 districts in the campaign will run a four-day drive.

“Every campaign is an important opportunity to protect children against polio. Parents must ensure that all children under five receive polio drops during every campaign, even if they have been vaccinated in previous rounds,” Parvaiz said.

The District Anti-Polio Committee reviewed the arrangements at a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner retired Captain Nadeem Nasir. The meeting also assessed how the previous campaign performed in each union council.

Where the last campaign fell short

A presentation to the committee set out the previous campaign target for the district at 989,924 children. It reviewed vaccination coverage by union council, children who were missed, and cases where parents refused vaccination.

Nasir directed teams to pay special attention to union councils where coverage fell short last time. He stressed follow-up work to find missed children and make sure they receive the drops. He also gave specific instructions for Lab Thattho Union Council in Taxila.

Officials at the meeting said the Health Department, the World Health Organization and other relevant institutions must work in close coordination. They agreed on an integrated strategy for the campaign, with continuous monitoring of field teams. Nasir said there should be no room for negligence or lapses, and he directed officers to finalise administrative and field preparations before the campaign began.

Why Punjab faces a high risk this winter

Punjab faces a clear risk of poliovirus transmission, with 13 districts affected. The virus remains endemic in parts of the region, and movement between districts can carry it into new areas. Repeated campaigns aim to close immunity gaps before the virus can spread further.

Public health experts view 2027 as a potentially decisive year for polio eradication in Pakistan. Extensive campaigns are planned through June next year to sustain immunity, close vaccination gaps and stop the virus from spreading. The November drive forms part of that longer push.

For Rawalpindi families, the practical point is simple. Teams will visit homes over the next four days. Parents who miss a visit should take their child to the nearest vaccination point or health facility, rather than wait for the next round.

How many children will the Rawalpindi campaign target?

More than 990,000 children under five in Rawalpindi district will receive polio drops during the four-day campaign.

How long will the Rawalpindi campaign run?

The campaign in Rawalpindi will run for four days, starting on Monday. Lahore will run a seven-day drive in the same round.

How many teams will work in Rawalpindi?

More than 4,210 polio teams will go door to door in Rawalpindi, with 270 supervisors working across 212 union councils.

Why must children receive drops in every round?

Repeated doses build and sustain immunity. A child who received drops before still needs drops in each new campaign, so that no immunity gap remains.

What should parents do if a team misses their home?

Parents should take the child to the nearest vaccination point or health facility at once, rather than wait for the next campaign round.